End of Watch—Fallen K9s Honored

Sacramento Sheriff's Deputy John Halk and his partner "Drago," who was shot in the line of duty less than a week ago. The bullet passed through his shoulder and chest cavity before exiting. Deputy Halk and his partner were attending the bi-annual "Faithful Partner" Ceremony at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine honoring law enforcement canines who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Oct 23, 2013

California law enforcement K-9 teams gathered today at the "Faithful Partner" memorial in the bi-annual Faithful Partner Ceremony at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine to honor those dogs lost in the line of duty. A full honor guard, bagpipers and a motorcade were followed by a large procession of over 75 police and sheriff’s K-9 teams, search and rescue teams, and canine teams from Travis Air Force Base in nearby Fairfield, California. Sacramento Sheriff's K-9 Drago had recovered well enough from a shooting last Friday to attend with his partner, Deputy John Halk.

Added to the memorial this year were K-9 Max of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Narcotics Bureau (partner - Deputy Brian McBride) and K-9 Urko of the Hawthorne Police Department (partner - Officer David Harris). Over the years the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine has treated many law enforcement dogs injured in the line of duty.

The “Faithful Partner” monument, created by Susan Bahary and donated by Bill Balaban, serves as a testament to the strong bond of affection and loyalty between law enforcement dogs and their human partners. The monument currently displays plaques honoring the 38 K-9s that lost their lives while serving California. Seven Sacramento area K-9s are honored on the monument: Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department canines K-9 Ado, K-9 Billy and K-9 Nero as well as K-9 Captain from West Sacramento Police Department, K9s Edo & Niko from San Joaquin Co Sheriff & K9 Quint from Manteca PD.

About the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital
The William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California, Davis—a unit of the School of Veterinary Medicine—provides state-of-the-art clinical care while serving as the primary clinical teaching experience for DVM students and post graduate veterinarian residents. The VMTH treats more than 45,000 animals a year, ranging from cats and dogs to horses, cows and exotic species. To learn more about the VMTH, please go to http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth. Timely news updates can be received on its Facebook (www.facebook.com/ucdavisvetmed) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/ucdavisvetmed) pages.